Recent Photos

Hi, I just wanted to share some of the latest photos before I get so far behind I can't think straight!

"Update Blogs" has been on my to-do list for a couple of weeks now.

 

August is starting to settle down some for me, so here goes!

 

Brennan attended Strings Camp earlier this summer and we received a bunch of great photos the other day.  While I've already shared a couple that I took, I wanted to share these as well.

 

Brennan with Logan and his class of first-year violinists.

Brennan's official Strings Camp 2013 Photo

 

While they learned a strings instrument all morning, they got to have a ton of outdoor fun during lunch and the afternoon - including swimming, putt-putt, playgrounds, and "free play".  A bunch of kids built a "bridge" across this little creek.  You see Brennan crossing the log.

During the end of week concert this was one of my favorite parts. 

The cellos learned to play the Darth Vader music and these little kids came out and reenacted a pivotal scene from Star Wars.  It was so cute.

 

 

During one of the mornings the kids learned about harmonizing and rhythm.  Here's Brennan performing with his former piano teacher and two of his kids.  Brennan won the "harmonizing star" for his excellent work.

 

Brennan tried out and was accepted into our city's Children's Choir this year.

It is run by the Indianapolis Children's Choir in conjunction with our local Philharmonic.

He has a couple of friends who are in it.  It's a big deal with lots of practices and concerts.

I think it'll be great for him!

 

 

Just into the school year we hosted the 6th Grade Breakfast - a great way to kick off the last year of elementary school.  Here are our school's 6th Grade Teachers.  Brennan's teacher is on the far right.  We love her.

 

6th Grade Breakfast (that's his sling around his neck)

 

 

 

Brennan got to trade his long cast and sling for a short cast a couple of weeks ago.  And HOPEFULLY this week he'll get the cast removed and move to a brace.  Almost there!

 

 

 

Our local Sprint and Olympic Triathlon took place a couple of Saturdays ago.  I signed the boys and me up to volunteer that morning with traffic duty.  Because they can't be woken up that early on a Saturday morning, I covered the shift by myself.  It was really inspiring to see all sorts of people in the triathlon.  Maybe I could do it???

 

 

After half a summer of not playing, Sachmo got his trumpet out and entertained us last weekend.  He's enjoying his 3rd year in band.

 

Thomas is also on the Cross-Country team at his middle school.  This is the first school sport he's been in and he's doing so well!!

His team has been running Monday-Friday for an hour and a half for 3 weeks now.  His first meet is on Saturday out of town.

 

The team regularly runs 2 miles.  His PR (personal record) for the 3K (1.86 miles) is 17.05 minutes.  He's determined to get below a 9 minute mile soon.  He's doing really, really well!

 

 

Last week Thomas and his mission trip buddies spoke to the adults at church about their summer mission trip.  We couldn't get over how poised and thoughtful Thomas's responses were.  We headed out to a new Cajun restaurant for lunch after church.

 

With me bathing Brennan in the tub each night (because of his cast), his long-ish hair was always looking rough (see photos of Brennan above!)  So at his last appointment I asked Miss Kristen to please help a Mama out.  Brennan loves his new short cut.  David says he looks like Tom Cruise from Top Gun.

 

Friday night we headed to Indy for the Indians baseball game.

Also downtown we ran into all sorts of people in cool costumes who were at the Convention Center for Gen Con (comic convention).  I think the boys would have preferred to check out Gen Con than the baseball game!

 

 

 

 

We met up with our friends Jackie, Matt, and son Tom (in Brennan's class) for a really fun night of baseball and fireworks.

 

We were all exhausted Saturday morning!

 

 

Saturday night we played poker and watched a movie.

 

Here little brother is picking on big brother by sitting in his chair.  You see Brennan thinks he's hilarious.  Thomas is not giving up his chair though, but still very patient with little brother.

 

 

Always suspicious when Brennan says he doesn't need any more cards in 5 Card Draw.  Well, no wonder.  Look what I dealt him!

 

Hope you're having a great August!

First day of School!

 

 

6th Grade for Brennan

8th Grade for Thomas

 

Both are in their last years of their respective schools, kings of campus

 

And, here they are unposed :)

 





Summer Fun - Part 4

School is in session tomorrow!

Now that we're on a "balanced calendar" our summers feel shorter.

But, it's been a truly great summer!

 

I'm the PTO President at Brennan's school this year, so the boys and I have been volunteering time to stuff back-to-school folders, make loads of copies, decorate a bulletin board, and attend some PTO events.  It's going to be a great year!

 

6th and 8th grades.  WOAH!

But... back to summer.

As Thomas left for a second week of camp at Purdue in mid-July, the boys had to get in a final hug.

 

Thomas had a BALL at camp.  Here are a few camp photos.

 

 

 

 

 

My friend Clare and her family are moving to China this week.

We had a fun send-off at the Bistro.

 

 

 

David got me these gorgeous gladiolas.  I loved them.

 

 

I took the boys for haircuts and Miss Kristen wanted to pamper Brennan with a shampoo since he's having to do sponge baths and have mom wash his hair - no fun for an 11 year old boy.

 

I think he liked it.

 

 

 

Our wine club met at a local spot in July.

The Savory Swine (hence the pig noses) is a butcher shop that also sells wines, gelato, and gourmet food items.  It was a blast!!

 

 

Without any prior conversation, 5 of our members showed up in pink.  Had to get a photo.

 

 

Lora and Charlie

 

Karen and Mary

 

 

And then our cousins (and Aunt Shelly and Uncle Dave) came to visit!  The cousins all had such a great time together!

 

We went to 240Sweet, a local marshmallow company that my friends Sam and Alexa run.  They've been featured in O Magazine and Martha Stewart Living and Weddings!  We took a marshmallow class in their new building.

Then we got to cut out our own marshmallows and bag them up for home.  Even one-armed Brennan got to participate!!

And of course we got to do some tasting!

We also went down the giant toilet at our local children's museum.

 

I'm throwing this photo in just to show how hugg-y my family is.  This is just the boys outside the ice cream shop, standing with Dad, waiting for the rest of our crew.



 

We toured one of Dad's new buildings with the really cool seating - no old-style cubicles here.  We all loved the treadmill desks, café seating, and tons and tons of windows.

Uncle Dave, David, Thomas, and Natalie went to the Nascar Brickyard 400, which is held at the Indy 500 racetrack.  Here's Thomas at the beginning of the long day.

And a few hours later...

While half of our crew was in Indy, the other half hung out.

 

Brennan took Danielle on his daily neighborhood walk. 

I can only imagine what he's lecturing telling her about here.

 

And we went to see Turbo, which takes place in part at the Indy 500 track, so we felt like we were with the rest of our family!

 

We also went to Mike and Mary's "Open House" - play on words because half of their farmhouse is being rebuilt so the house really is completely OPEN.  We got to see the turkeys, ducks, chickens, dogs, and the big garden.

 

Mary and Oprah Henfrey

 

Danielle with the sunflowers

 

We stopped back by 240Sweet to pick up some more puffs.

 

 And headed to our large indoor playground where Brennan was surrounded by kids asking about his arm.

 

And, of course, we swam!

There's Danielle in the deep end!

 And we hosted Brennan's class at a back-to-school swim party.  They had so much fun!

And now, somehow it's back to school, but thankfully we still have several more weeks of summer, and a new pool heater (thank you David!!), so we can continue enjoying our evenings and weekends outdoors.